Abstract
As a kind of textile, hemp artifact is a valuable cultural heritage. Suffering from several degradation factors in the preservation of cultural relics, some ancient hemp colored-paintings have been damaged, further affected their ornamental values. Therefore, it is urged to take the suitable conservation measures to protect the precious hemp artifacts for the historical culture succession. In this paper, an examination and analysis of the hemp colored paintings were the first step to propose an appropriate conservation treatment. Ultra-depth-of-field microscope was used to identify the kinds of fiber, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) was utilized to observe their condition and surface morphology. The element distribution and composition were identified by SEM, energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) was applied to identify the kinds of binding media and amino acid composition. Moreover, novel reinforcement materials and technology were proposed with the principle of compatibility and feasibility. The properties of tensile strength, aging resistance and chromatic aberration were tested before and after dry heat aging, wet heat aging and UV light aging. After systematic examination and evaluation of the hemp colored paintings and reinforcement materials, the optimal conservation treatment was finally established, and the Chinese hemp painting as an example has been protected successfully. This paper provides new methods and ideas for the restoration and protection of the linen cultural relics, which would promote the progress of protecting valuable cultural heritages.